Battery configuration for an electric vehicle

• US 10,035,428 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Yi-Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Kawing
• Application Number:
  US15/139,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 318139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/209 for overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/30 with means to change over to human control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 : Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 : responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 : Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A power delivery system for an electric vehicle provides efficient power management for either continuous or intermittent high-performance operation, using a boost stage and an on-board charging circuit. A main battery, configured as a high-capacity power source, supplies power to the electric motor under normal load conditions. An auxiliary boost battery assists the main battery in supplying a high-level current at a higher discharge rate thereby causing the motor to operate in a high-performance drive mode. A charging circuit recharges the boost battery from the main battery during operation of the motor. The charging circuit also maintains a charge balance between the boost battery and the main battery when the two batteries have different chemistries. In one embodiment, participation of the boost battery in powering the electric motor can be controlled automatically according to sensed changes in the load. In another embodiment, power management can be based on timed intervals.

Claims

1. A method of operating a power system for a vehicle having an electric motor coupled to drive at least one wheel of the vehicle, the method comprising:

supplying electrical power to low-power functional elements of the vehicle using a primary battery;

supplying electrical power to the electric motor using a high-capacity main battery in response to sensing a first load on the electric motor; and

supplying electrical power to the electric motor using a high-performance boost battery in response to sensing a second load on the electric motor; and

recharging the high-performance boost battery from the high-capacity main battery during operation of the electric motor, the recharging of the high-performance boost battery occurring based on detection of a load resistance of the electric motor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second load on the electric motor is greater than the first load on the electric motor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the high-capacity main battery for external charging.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

supplying electrical power to the electric motor using a high-capacity main battery in response to sensing a first load on the electric motor includes providing the high-capacity main battery which includes a first chemistry; and

supplying electrical power to the electric motor using a high-performance boost battery in response to sensing a second load on the electric motor includes providing the high-performance boost battery which includes a second chemistry, the first and the second chemistries being different.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electrically coupling in parallel the high-capacity main battery and the high-performance boost battery.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a charging rate or a discharging rate of the high-capacity main battery.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a charging rate or a discharging rate of the high-performance boost battery.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a charge imbalance between the high-capacity main battery and the high-performance boost battery based on;

the monitoring of at least one of the charging rate or the discharging rate of the high-capacity main battery; and

the monitoring of at least one of the charging rate or the discharging rate of the high-performance boost battery.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting a charge supplied from the high-capacity main battery to the high-performance boost battery during recharging of the high-performance boost battery from the high-capacity main battery in response to a difference between the charge imbalance and a threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the threshold value is a threshold voltage.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuously recharging the high-performance boost battery from the high-capacity main battery during operation of the electric motor, the recharging of the high-performance boost battery occurring based on detection of the load resistance of the electric motor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

intermittently recharging the high-performance boost battery from the high-capacity main battery during operation of the electric motor, the recharging of the high-performance boost battery occurring based on detection of the load resistance of the electric motor.

13. A method of operating a power system for a vehicle having an electric motor, a primary battery, a high-capacity secondary main battery, and a high-performance tertiary boost battery, the method comprising:

supplying electrical power to low-power functional elements of the vehicle using the primary battery;

when the vehicle is not traveling, charging the boost battery, the charging based on a load resistance of the electric motor, which is configured to drive a wheel of the vehicle;

when the vehicle is traveling,

using the main battery to supply electrical power to the motor while charging the boost battery for a first time interval;

supplying electrical power to the motor for a second time interval; and

using both the main battery and the boost battery together to supply electrical power to the electric motor for a third time interval.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the vehicle is a scooter.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

electrically coupling in parallel the main battery and the boost battery.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the boost battery and the main battery have different corresponding chemistries.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the main battery includes one or more capacitors.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein a discharge rate of the boost battery exceeds that of the main battery.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein, after expiration of the third time interval, the method further comprises:

supplying electrical power to low-power functional elements of the vehicle using the primary battery;

when the vehicle is not traveling, charging the boost battery, the charging based on a load resistance of the motor, which is configured to drive a wheel of the vehicle;

when the vehicle is traveling,

using the main battery to supply electrical power to the motor while charging the boost battery for the first time interval;

supplying electrical power to the motor for the second time interval; and

using both the main battery and the boost battery together to supply electrical power to the motor for the third time interval.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the boost battery is a lithium ferrite battery.